Do you have an ATTITUDE????

As most of my blogs do, this blog resulted from a lesson that I taught to the ladies of Victory Tabernacle.  I am adamant that I do not want to live my life as a hypocrite.  If I am going to teach it to others then I hold myself accountable to it. It is because of that fact that I typically teach from my own personal experiences and lessons learned from the Lord.  I believe that every pulpit or podium that I stand behind has some sort of truth serum dripping from it because I seem to just uncontrollably begin to "tell on" myself when I teach. This one is no exception.  Even as I begin to type this my flesh is screaming, "YUCK".  *giggle* oh well...here goes...

Definition of Attitude: 1) Pattern of thinking formed over a period of time. 2) disposition or feeling with regard to a person or thing. 3)a testy uncooperative disposition. 4) DISCONTENT expressed through actions.

Let's begin by looking at each of these definitions.

An attitude is not something that we just develop in an instant. It is common to hear someone say, "She copped an attitude with me." This usually implies that someone just developed an attitude out of no where.  That is not a true statement.  An attitude comes after we have already begun to dwell on things for a while.  It usually results from a pattern of thinking about something over time. This can manifest in a couple of ways. We can develop an attitude when we have allowed our minds to run wild and dwell on negative things.  Then something negative happens that was the "straw that broke the camel's back" so to speak.  OR  It could develop when things happened that went against what we THOUGHT should have happened because of the way that we had been thinking about the situation over time.  Either way..attitudes don't JUST HAPPEN.

Next, we have to recognize that attitudes usually result from "feelings".  Because God has called us to live a life of faith we have to begin to recognize that we can not allow our "feelings" to control our attitude about circumstances, people, or decisions.  Feelings will LIE TO US!  FEELINGS ARE NOT FACT! We have to make a choice to be alert and aware of our feelings and not let them control our attitude.  That is not easy and it often is not as simple as saying, "I choose not to feel that way."  We often have to say it, do something about it, say it , do it, say it , and then do it again before the feelings will line up with what God has called us to do, think or feel.

Thirdly, we can recognize that we have an attitude problem when we become "testy".  In other words, it doesn't take much for us to be "set off" by something or someone.  We are an ATTITUDE WAITING TO HAPPEN.  When we have an attitude problem we often don't want to cooperate with those around us or with God for that matter.  An uncooperative attitude is simply nothing more than rebellion. Plain and simple.

Ok. Can I stop typing now?  This is really stomping my TOES ya'll!!!!!

Finally, the definition that really stood out to me was the last one.  It explains that when we allow ourselves to walk in an attitude it is because we have grown discontent in some area of our life.  When I become discontent with the way that my life, my marriage, my job, my church is going or simply grow discontent with myself,  I can quickly develop an attitude. I'm not talking about discontent that motivates us to change.  I am talking about discontent that leads to murmuring and complaining. Complaining is simply negative words spoken about a circumstance that we have no intention of rectifying. If we are going to complain about something then we need to be prepared to be a part of the solution.

Notice that this last definition says that it is "expressed through actions".  That tells us that no matter what our mouth is saying our body language, our facial expressions, the decisions that we are making and the manner in which we are going about our day are the true test of whether or not we have an attitude. Did your mama ever tell you that your "actions speak louder than words"????  You can even say, "I love you" and, "I'm sorry" with an attitude.  Don't believe me?  Watch any group of 2-4 year olds playing.  When an argument breaks out between two or more of them, separate them and demand that they apologize.  Then ask them to say, " I love you" to the person that took their favorite toy.  Yep...immaturity will result in words that are betrayed by actions and laced with attitude.

Philippians 4:11 (Amplified Bible)Not that I am implying that I was in any personal want, for I have learned how to be content (satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or disquieted) in whatever state I am.

1 Timothy 6:6 (Amplified Bible) [And it is, indeed, a source of immense profit, for] godliness accompanied with contentment (that contentment which is a sense of inward self satisfaction) is great and abundant gain.

What is Paul telling us in these two scriptures?  He is saying that we should mature to the point that regardless of what is going on externally around us, we can be INTERNALLY at peace.   He is saying that the times in which we REALLY make gains or progress in our walk with God (and others) are those times when we have a REASON to have an attitude but we lay down our RIGHT to that attitude and stay in peace and love. 

I also notice that the amplified states it this way: A sense of inward self satisfaction.  Have you ever noticed that when you are not happy with yourself you will often develop an attitude toward others?  I have.  When we become satisfied with who we are and the progress that we are making in our own lives we tend have less of an attitude problem with others and are more content as a whole.

I can't tell you how often I have said, 'Well I wouldn't have an attitude if she would just________.  I wouldn't have to cop such an attitude if HE didn't have an attitude first. Yes, I have an attitude but you don't know what I have been through. I didn't have an attitude until one of my kids did___________.  If my finances were better then I wouldn't have to have an attitude about ____________."  Etc. Etc. Etc.....Excuses, excuses, excuses.

Our attitude about things in our lives will often lead us in our decision making.  One of my favorite quotes lately (and I say it to myself OFTEN) is:  "Never make permanent decisions based on temporary circumstances!"  Attitude issues will cause us to move toward things that will gratify the flesh and the feelings that we are having.  Often we make decisions to surround ourselves with people who will agree with our attitude so that we can feel more secure in our decisions.  Just because we are surrounded by 100 people who agree with us, it does not mean that we are right!  Ask Hitler.

Let's look at an example from the Word of God.

Numbers 11

1  AND THE people grumbled and deplored their hardships, which was evil in the ears of the Lord, and when the Lord heard it, His anger was kindled; and the fire of the Lord burned among them and devoured those in the outlying parts of the camp.
2  The people cried to Moses, and when Moses prayed to the Lord, the fire subsided.
3  He called the name of the place Taberah [burning], because the fire of the Lord burned among them.
4  And the mixed multitude among them [the rabble who followed Israel from Egypt] began to lust greatly [for familiar and dainty food], and the Israelites wept again and said, Who will give us meat to eat?
5  We remember the fish we ate freely in Egypt and without cost, the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic.
6  But now our soul (our strength) is dried up; there is nothing at all [in the way of food] to be seen but this manna.

The children of Israel began to become discontent because things were not turning out exactly like they had imagined that it would once they were free of the bondage of Egypt.  They imagined that they would walk right out of that land into a land flowing with milk and honey but that was not the case.  Notice that verse 1 says "their hardships" caused them to complain.  I've heard it said that it's in the process of squeezing the grape that you truly find out what is inside".  *GROAN*  *SIGH*

I know I know...I'm not liking this lesson  much either.

You would think that a hot fire killing off a few of your best friends would teach them not to complain.  But noooooooo Mrs HardHead and MR StubbornStreak had to complain again!

Verse 4 says that the "mixed multitude" began to complain.  Those were people who were just tagging along for the ride. Some of them came out of Egypt with the Israelites and some of them were just picked up along the way.  Have you ever noticed that when you hang around with people who are complainers it is easy to jump in there with them?  Have you ever noticed that if you hang around with people who are not faith talkers, faith walkers, and KINGDOM minded people that it's easy to cross over to thinking and doing things the way that the world thinks about them and does them?  Did you read my blog about Influence?  Those that we are around can influence us with their complaints.  They influence our feelings about the things that they are upset about but they will also begin to influence the way that we interpret and feel about things in our own lives which may seem to be COMPLETELY unrelated to what THEY are complaining about.

As soon as the "mixed multitude" began complaining the children of Israel forgot what they had been taught by the "fire" and began to complain as well.  Not only were they complaining about what was going on in the "here and now" but they also began to look back with longing in their hearts for Egypt. 

Having an attitude problem will blur our vision.   When they looked back to Egypt all they could see was the great foods that they had eaten while there.  They forgot about the long hours that they worked in poor conditions.  They forgot about the shanty shacks that they had to live in and the sickness and disease that plagued their people as a result of poverty and persecution.  They forgot about how the king killed their firstborn sons in order to keep them from prospering.  They forgot about how their children cried at night because of the awful conditions around them.  They forgot about the fear, the sweat, the blood, the tears.  Ohhh yes my friend.  An attitude problem is a DANGEROUS THING.  It blurs your vision today. It blurs your vision of yesterday and it will COMPLETELY BLUR your vision of tomorrow.

God began to deal with me a few weeks ago about being on guard this year about my attitude where the holidays were concerned.  Last year I spent many weeks in agony over whether or not I was going to be able to give my kids the Christmas that I had always thought was the "perfect Christmas". (Remember that attitude is a pattern of thinking formed over a period of time).  Our business was not prospering the way that I knew that it should  and there I was just a few days away from Christmas WITH NO GIFTS BOUGHT AT ALL.  The pantry was not full either.  Where was I going to get the money for the Turkey, and trimmings that I wanted to cook to make that picture perfect  "It's a Wonderful Life" Christmas??  Where were the "Chestnuts roasting on the open fire?" 

So what did I do?  I began to dwell  on the fact that I had not bought presents and there was no food in our pantry. I began to complain that my perfect little Christmas was not going to happen.   I allowed myself to grow discontent with my circumstances and developed a major attitude problem.  God began to show me that the reason that I had such an issue with my attitude is because I completely had a wrong picture of what Christmas was.  Because things were NOT just as I "thought they should be" I developed an attitude problem. Oh I would "say" with my mouth that Christmas was about more than just gifts and food but my actions were certainly betraying my words.  When I allowed God to deal with my attitude problem, he began to make a way for my kids to have gifts under the tree and food on the table.  I didn't buy them 55 gifts but they had plenty and their mama learned valuable lesson.

Verse 6 shows us how deceived they really were.  They said, "our souls are dried up and we have nothing to eat but this MANNA".  Ok..first of all they were not in as bad a shape as they could have been and they certainly were not "dried up".  These people were blessed.  They came out of Egypt with no sick or lame among them and a promise from God that he would bless their food so that they would never have to be sick!

Worship the Lord your God, and His blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from you and none will miscarry or be barren in your land. I will give you a full life span" (Exodus 23:25-26).

A discontent attitude will keep us from having an "ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE" for what we have been promised and blessed with.  Focusing on what we DO NOT have will rob us of the joy of WHAT WE DO HAVE! 

I also have learned that if there is an area that I quickly develop an "attitude" in then there are probably some wrong patterns of thinking about that thing that God wants to work on.  "Squeezing the grapes" will show me those areas in a hurry.  Looking forward to this Christmas I realize that my idea of the perfect Christmas was not God's idea of the perfect Christmas.  This year he has asked me to do something that completely goes against my flesh.  He has asked me to ask him before buying any presents.  He wants to be involved in the buying process this year.   If he only okays 5 presents instead of the usual 55 then I have to be okay with that realizing that somewhere in this world there will be Mama's that would give anything to have their children healthy and at home this Christmas regardless if they have 5 or 55 presents.  I have to remember that there are wives that do not have a husband sitting with them watching the kids opening the gifts this year because of divorce. ( Oh how I remember that first Christmas alone with Maylin, the heartache, the tears and the struggle to answer questions from my babygirl about where Daddy was. Oh how quickly we forget what Egypt was like when we have an attitude problem).  Oh yes, I have much to be CONTENT about this year. 

And what if...just what if...My wrong thinking about Christmas is feeding a wrong pattern of thinking into my kids?  What if my perfect picture of Christmas is causing them to be hindered from having an attitude of gratitude?  What if they don't get all of the things that they have written on their list this year?  Would THEY have an attitude problem?  What if my "doing good" for them by buying 55 presents was actually doing them "harm" and God wants it stopped?

And then there is the whole attitude about the manna.  When the children of Israel first saw the manna falling from the sky they were amazed by it.  They were so overwhelmed by it that they exclaimed "MANNA! which means What is it?"   Have you ever had God give you something so wonderful that there were just no words to describe it?  Me too. 

But their attitude problem now caused them to see "that thing" that was once so WONDERFUL as "just this same ole manna".  They no longer appreciated the gift that God had given them and what a miracle it was.  That thing that they once praised God for and couldn't wait to see again was now just "same ole same ole".  What is your God given "what is it?"  Has it become "same ole same ole"? Is it your job?  Your house?  Your Husband? Your Children?  Your church?   What is that thing that you once couldn't wait to tell your friends about?  What is that thing that you had people helping you pray for that you now want to throw away as if it were a great burden to you? 

*warning pet peeve rant*  If you have asked people to spend their time and tears to pray over a situation for you, don't display your ingratitude toward their efforts by quickly giving up on that thing that they invested so much time and energy in prayer.  If you have prayed for that job and had others agreeing with you for it, don't quit the first time the boss says something that you don't like.  If you have had people praying that man of God into your life, then don't walk out the first time you have an argument.  If you wanted that house and had people praying with you for the loan to go through, don't sit around and complain about it while in their presence.  They PRAYED FOR YOU!!!!!!!!!!! STICK TO IT!  DON'T GIVE UP NOW!  Others have made an investment into this thing besides just you.

Now, I realize that there are seasons for everything and I also realize that God moves people from place to place and gives promotion and new jobs....(but don't go getting a new husband girls- that ain't God).  I'm just saying that we have to be sure that our attitude problem isn't causing us to give up too soon on something that God gave to us as a gift simply because of a little hardship right now. The promise land is coming.  Until then..Enjoy the Manna...IT IS STILL A GOD GIVEN MIRACLE!!! Whether it tastes like it right now or not!

So...what about it...Do you have an ATTITUDE?